Horticulture department in J&K trains apple growers

Department of Horticulture in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday organised special training programme for the apple growers to make them aware about the latest technologies, in a bid to boost its production in the valley.

Manzoor Ahmad, technical officer of the horticulture department, said that the objective of training is to ensure that there is an increase in production of apples.

"We are making efforts to inform the growers about the new technologies. We are providing training to farmers. We are trying to increase the production of the fruit with such initiatives," said Ahmad.

Abdul Ahad Bhat, an apple grower, said that the training proved to be beneficial for them as they got to know about the new technologies.

"The training is quite beneficial as we have been informed about new technology, which is better than what we used before. The production will be of high quality. They also informed us about which branches to cut. This was a very good programme," said Bhat.

Apple farmers at these camps are being trained at the workshops and they are told about the pruning of the trees, the use of manure and oil paste.

The apple industry in the Kashmir valley is the backbone of the state's economy contributing billions of rupees from the export of the fruit to the other parts of the country and abroad.